Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the U.S. will stop allowing immigrants fleeing domestic violence to qualify for asylum

The crackdown on immigration has turned away victims of violence

People fleeing domestic violence and gang violence used to qualify for asylum in the United States. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions ended that. His decision is part of the administration’s larger push to end asylum protections overall for hundreds of thousands of immigrants.

The U.S. grants asylum to 20% of all applicants on average. Acceptance rates for South American countries are lower than average.

Politifact

The asylum restrictions make it nearly impossible for victims of domestic violence to enter the U.S.

For asylum seekers, being forced to stay in their home countries could be a death sentence. Tens of thousands of asylum seekers can expect to get sent back into the terror they tried to escape, including women helping their children escape abuse. Child abuse is often linked to intimate partner violence.

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Women and children will die as a result of these policies.

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Michelle Brané

Director of the Women’s Refugee Commission migrant rights and justice program

Who’s Behind Discriminatory Asylum Policies?

These key players have worked to block victims of domestic violence from asylum in the United States.